Method and means for supplying cartridge belts to a feed mechanism



A, DABRASKY Filed spt. 15, 1930 Marh 21, 1933.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING CARTRIDGE BELTS TO A FEED MECHANISM Patented Mar. 21, V1933 d El Y AUGUsr- DABRAsKx 'or WASHINGToNjnIsTRIcTforcotnMBrAj METHOD ANDA MEANS yFOR sUrrLYINs cARtrninGfBEL'rs Telfair-Erin MEGANISM f i Applicato'nled September' .15,- 1930. ISeriaIMNO. 482,009.1,"

Y (GRANTED'UNDER THE Ac'r. oF MARGH 3,1883, As AMENBD'APRIL 30,119.23; ,3,70 o. Gam* rIhel inventiony described herein vmay "be manufacturedland used by or for'the kGrovernment-for governmental purposes, without thepayment to me of any royalty thereon. Y

This invention relates to a methodV off'fand means l,for supplying cartridge,- belts toffa Y feed mechanism.

An uninterrupted for 'a machine gun maybe Iobtained by at.v

" taching the ends of short belts or strips car-r rying the ammunition. The rate of travel of the belt to the gun is so rapid that the operatorcharged with the task of establishing the connections must not only be extremely 1'5n alert but his undivided attention is required when the gun ris being fired. The task becomes more diflicult when the gun-is being continuously moved as in vtracking aerial targets andwhere several guns are placed side by side on a single mount the congestion` complicates the proceedings.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a system of supplying belts of ammunition which is so organized that one operator can remove the belts from their containers and attach them to the belts passing through a number of guns. Y.

. With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention resides in the novel arrangement and-combination of parts and in the method of application hereinafter described and claimed it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made '35"' Within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawinr wherein:

' Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of a series of belts connected together and in position to be conducted into a feed mecha- Ynism;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through a container in which is carried a belt of ammunition;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3.

Supply of ammunition.

y i Referringrto the drawing by numerals' of reference: f 'I n f n@There isfshowna base 5 whichv is `thejtraj`v versing vcarriage of, ,a gunmount.- On theA baser fare 'uprightstandards 6 in which a j cradle@ i i's supportedV throughVA trunnins i 8.

Thefcrafdle carries aV4 plurality of guns v9L placedlside by sidean'd'ini a despendinfgsi'i'p-y port-lOitalso r'carries a i'eed mecha'nisrrijlll",`

[Ina multiple gunfmount,"aframe'13 is placed ,on the base 5 and ijs plrovidedvwithfa` v trough [or V chann'elled compartment"V 14 ffor each' gunl to be suppliedfwith"fammunitiongg The compartments rextend in the =`samefdi rection as the gun andproj'ectin'g; throughw the ,floor loffeach of them areapluralityf of spaced rollers 1 6 sloping towards-lthefyfeed; mechanism' to'V forma gravity conveyors" I The ammunition -is-carried in flexible'belts 17 which may be eitherof the fabric or the disintegrating metallic link "constructionf, the latter jtype beingj preferred and Villustrated as it givesv a better performance with heavyf 75-k cartridges such as the 50 caliberjfand as its links 1,8- permit the: connection oi twobelts by the Amereinsertion cfa cartridge, :The beltsv in Ufolded form are' placed VV'one behind another'iin jthe vcompartment V 14*and*arerv arranged in such a manner that thetwo ends 19 and v20 v are' vavailable? respectively`l fori attachment to the preceding and?the?fiole:V lowingbelt. 1 f 'Y jiv if i' `Ingror'der ltoi s facilitate' such disposition tofif 8,5@ thefbeltsthebox 21 (Fig.-

in `which each? of them fiscarried has a transverse `partition; 22 yspaced-from onek end to form-.a chamber.` 23 capable of" receiving' one: thickness of y.thea belt. The boxV is closedbyk a cover 24 held ,bye 99 a pin 25 inserted through the ends ofthe box".

Thebperation. ofgplacingfa belt of amj-i munition. infa compartment consists in ,p-Iacf;

Yingfthef` box ininverted.' position.. in ,fthe

compartment'. with the end containing: the.V partition remote from the'` preceding .3 belt."` The 25Vfis then `withdrawn andthe box lifted clear of -Ythefbeltfj Therbeltresting fonfr the cover 24 will remain inthe compartment,j

the. COYrlying' en the rollers 16.350," that; itis 101 free to advance along the compartment and approach the feed mechanism. The tWo ends 19 and 20 of the belt are in exposed position, the end 19 being on the uppermost fold and the end `2Ofextending from the lowermost fold alength approximately equal tothe height of a folded belt so that it may be moved into position to permit attachment j to the end 19 of afollowing belt.'

initially arranging fthe ammunition supply preparatory to ring the guns the belt units are transferred from their containers to the compartments and attached. While the convenient length of the compartments will depend on the general design of the gun mount and the organizationof its various parts it should preferably be capable of receiving a number of belt unitsjproviding a totalv number of rounds that is suflicient Without replenishmenty for the needs of the gun during the period that a target is in range. llVith aerial targets this time is considered as. one minute and according to the rate of fire ofpresent guns the available supply should be approximately 600 rounds.` The time interval of firing either alone or` when added to the time interval between targets Will afford ample opportunity `for --lasingle operator to replenish'the ammunition supply for four guns. j

The end plate 26 of the compartments is provided with an aperture 27 through Which the cover`2ll Will pass When the belt thatis 35 supporting has been removed therefrom.

I claim: l

1. A method of supplying ammunition to gun feed `mechanism which consists in placing belt units on carriersone behind another,

A0- attaching the adjacent ends of the belt units, 4

and advancing all of the belt units ltoward a feed mechanism.

2." A method of suppling ammunition to` gun feed mechanism which consists in `plac- 1 ing belt units one behind another, attaching the `adjacent ends of Ithe belt units, and advancing all `of the: belt units toward a feed mechanism. g j f l 3. In apparatus for supplying Vammuni- `tion` toV gun feed mechanism, a support formed with a channel and having an `apertured end plate,"rollers in the floor `of the supportf forming la gravity conveyor, carriers movable-on the rollers and through the aperture in the end plate of the support.

4.111 apparatusfor supplying ammunition to gun feed mechanism, a `support formed with fa channel, rollers in the floor `of the support forming a gravity conveyor,

and carriersmovable on the rollers. i i

`5. A container `for ai cartridge belt com-. prising a box, 'a partition transversely of the box andpositioned adjacent oneof its ends,

' a cover forthe box andmovable therefrom,

andimeanspassing through the walls of the box and positioned on the outer side of the 7. In combination, a container having a` common entrance and exit, a flexible element carrying the contents of the container and folded upon itself With theuppervend portion turnedover to extend across the folds and a removable closure for thecontainer.

8.' A method ofpresenting a series of4 ammunition belts to a gun feed mechanism which consists in folding eachbelt upon itself with one' end turned over across the folds and attaching the turned over end` of one belt to the folded end of'an adjoining belt. Y i n AUGUST DABRASKY. 

